What is Salesforce for nonprofits?
Salesforce for nonprofits is one of the best donor management software solutions available for charities, serving as a digital tool to organize information about donors, volunteers, and beneficiaries.
This platform offers customizable features to meet the specific needs of each organization. Meaning, nonprofits can use Salesforce for various tasks like managing grant applications and analyzing program data.
Nonprofit Cloud vs. Nonprofit Success Pack (NPSP)
Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud and the Nonprofit Success Pack (NPSP) are both designed to support nonprofit organizations, but they serve slightly different purposes:
- Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud: The Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud offers a more complex, comprehensive suite of tools and solutions for nonprofits. It includes a range of features such as program tracking, volunteer management, and marketing automation.
- Nonprofit Success Pack (NPSP): The Nonprofit Success Pack is a bit simpler in comparison and offers a set of pre-built configurations and customizations that sit on top of the Salesforce platform. NPSP is considered an “out-of-the-box” solution that includes features such as donor management, fundraising, and constituent relationship management (CRM) capabilities.
The pros and cons of using Salesforce for nonprofits
Like any nonprofit software solution, there are a few pros and cons of using Salesforce that nonprofits should consider.
Pros of using Salesforce for nonprofits
- Comprehensive platform: Salesforce offers a wide range of features and tools, including donor management, program tracking, volunteer management, and marketing automation.
- Customization: Salesforce is highly flexible, which ensures that organizations can adapt the platform to fit their unique workflows and processes.
- Integration: Salesforce integrates with a variety of third-party applications and services, allowing nonprofits to connect their existing tools and systems seamlessly.
- Scalability: Whether a nonprofit is just starting out or has been around for years, Salesforce can accommodate its needs as it expands and evolves.
- Support: Salesforce has a large and active community of users, developers, and partners dedicated to supporting nonprofits. There are numerous resources available, including online forums, documentation, and training programs, to help organizations get the most out of the platform.
Cons of using Salesforce for nonprofits
- Cost: While Salesforce offers discounted pricing for nonprofits, it can still be expensive, especially for smaller organizations with limited budgets.
“The cost of premier support is prohibitive, especially when considering scaling over time.” —Amber E.
- Complexity: Salesforce is a powerful platform, but it can also be complex and overwhelming, particularly for users who are not familiar with it. Nonprofits may require training and ongoing support to effectively utilize all of its features and capabilities.
“Although very customizable, making those customizations requires knowledge of the system in the backend. This necessitates hiring a programmer or someone externally.” — Daisy G.
- Learning curve: Due to its complexity, Salesforce often has a learning curve, particularly for new users. Nonprofits may need to invest time and effort in training staff and volunteers to use Salesforce effectively.
“It does take some time to setup, especially if you're new to Salesforce. Very dependent on the chosen implementation partner chosen.” — Justin H.
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Top features of Salesforce for nonprofits
- Constituent Relationship Management (CRM): Salesforce provides a robust CRM system tailored to nonprofit needs, allowing organizations to manage and track interactions with donors, volunteers, members, and other stakeholders.
- Donor management: Nonprofits can use Salesforce to track donor information, manage donations, and create targeted fundraising campaigns. The platform enables organizations to segment donors based on various criteria and personalize communications to cultivate relationships.
- Program management: Nonprofits can use Salesforce to track program outcomes, measure impact, and manage program-related data. The platform enables organizations to set goals, track progress, and generate reports to demonstrate the effectiveness of their programs.
- Marketing automation: Salesforce offers marketing automation tools that allow nonprofits to create and execute targeted marketing campaigns across multiple channels. Organizations can automate email communications, social media outreach, and event promotion to engage supporters and raise awareness.
Salesforce for nonprofits - Pricing
Nonprofit Cloud offers eligible nonprofits 10 free licenses if they apply and are accepted into the Power of Us Program. But, once those licenses are used, Nonprofit Cloud pricing rises to $60/month per user for their Enterprise plan and $100/month per user for their Unlimited plan.
Salesforce for nonprofits - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Does Salesforce work for nonprofits?
Yes, Salesforce works for nonprofits. It offers a range of features and tools specifically designed to meet the needs of nonprofit organizations, such as donor management, volunteer tracking, program management, and fundraising capabilities.
Is Salesforce for nonprofits really free?
While Salesforce for nonprofits offers some free licenses through the Power of Us Program, it's not entirely free. Nonprofit organizations receive their initial 10 licenses for free, but additional licenses and certain premium features may incur costs. The pricing varies depending on the plan chosen (Enterprise or Unlimited) and the number of users.
Check out the top 6 free CRM alternatives for nonprofits
Can I get Salesforce for free?
Nonprofit organizations can access Salesforce for free for their initial 10 licenses through the Power of Us Program. Beyond this, though, nonprofits have to pay fees.
Use Zeffy’s 100% free donor management platform
How many nonprofits use Salesforce?
Thousands of nonprofits use Salesforce!
The 100% free alternative to Salesforce for nonprofits
While Salesforce for nonprofits is a great option for lots of organizations, it can become expensive quickly. For a lot of charities looking to grow and scale — and funnel all of their donors’ contributions to their cause — this can become an issue.
With Zeffy, nonprofits can keep track of donors, engage with them, and get access to a full suite of other fundraising tools — completely for free. Unlike Salesforce for nonprofits, Zeffy never charges charities a cent, no matter what tools or features they need to change the world.
